-by Kimberly Giddings
The government is accelerating its model village initiative, targeting 23 communities across Regions Two to Six for comprehensive infrastructure upgrades and holistic community development.
Minister within the Ministry of Housing, Vanessa Benn, emphasized that the initiative goes beyond roads and drainage, with residents playing a more critical role in identifying priorities, ensuring development is tailored to each community’s unique needs.
Speaking on the Starting Point Podcast, Minister Benn explained that the model village initiative aims to enhance both the physical environment and the social and economic wellbeing of residents.
The process began with engineers and technicians assessing roads, drains, utility poles, playgrounds, and other amenities to determine specific community needs.
“Working on how we improve and ensure the drainage flows, remove any kind of backlog there and drains will be converted into concrete drains so that they’re easy for cleaning, looking at the state of the utility poles and identifying those poles that are rotten, leaning, whatever that needed to be fixed, replaced, installed, looking at, you know, the installation of hydrants, fire hydrants, closed circuit TVs, the enhanced security,” she explained.
During consultations, residents raised concerns ranging from garbage collection and noise nuisance to mental health, alcoholism and challenges affecting young people.
Minister Benn says residents are expected to help determine how some of these issues can be addressed.
“How can we be part of the solution? And if there are any areas where there needs to be more support through government, identify those, because it really was a listening, not only a consultation,” she said.
Originating as a brainchild of President Irfaan Ali, the model village programme is a multi-agency effort involving the Ministries of Housing, Local Government, Public Works, and Agriculture, among others.
The goal is to create cleaner, safer, and more vibrant communities, with residents taking an active role in shaping their future.